Gripping device for oil cans and the like



April 29, 1930. ER PET 1,756,165

GRIPPING DEVICE FOR OIL CANS AND THE LIKE Filed March 15, 1928 C 'INVENTOR fizzy/mi f e/rz'e ATTORNEY V 45 which I employ.

Patentecl Apr. 29,1930

UNITED STATES reams PATENT oFrcEY EDWARD nirnrnrn, or vnw YORK, N. Y.

- .G-RIPPING DEVICE FOR OIL CANS AND THE.LIKE

' Application filed March 13, i928. Serial No. 261,226.

This invention relates to the provision of a gripping attachment or finger piece for oil cans and similar discharge vessels; and the object of the invention is to provide a grip- ,5 ping device or finger piecewhich may'constitute a part of the can structure or the spout of an oil can or be detachably or permanently coupled with one. part ofthe can to provide means, for securely .holding the can in the .1 operation of discharging oil or other products therefrom; a further object being to provide an attachment of the class specified fashioned from sheet metal and preferably disposed between adjacent faces of the can and the de- 115 tachable'spout of the can, and means for forming a seal between; the parts coupled to gether to prevent the leaking of oil, or other contents from the can; a further. object being 7 to provide an attachment of the class specified 20 with clips for engagingthe spoutiof the can to retain the same against displacement therefrom; and with these and otherobjects in view, the invention consists in a device of the class and for the purpose specified, which 25 is simple in construction, eificient, inuse, and

which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed. c 1 I V The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of .my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each J 'S the spout of the can and the character Fig.4 is a view similar toFig3 but showing another modification.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another. i form of gripping device which I employ.

F ig. 6 is afview similar to ig. 4 showing another modification.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4fshowing another modification; and,

- 'Fig. 8 is a sectional, detail view showing a modified form of spout and can construc- 5 ti on, as well as a modified form of gripping device. F

In the accompanying drawing, the'reference character C in all figures represents the can or vessel or apart thereof, the character the gripping device or. finger piece. In Fig. 1 of the drawing, the can G is pro vided with an internally threaded discharge end 10 with which an externally threaded 5 projecting sleeve 11 on the spout S is coupled,

the spout having an enlarged collar or flange 12, facilitating therotation thereof. Between this flange and the top of the discharge end 10 is arranged'a suitable packing 13 and one of my improved gripping devicesl). a 2 The gripping device D shownin Figs. 1 and 2 is fashioned from sheet metal to provide a circular central portion 14 having an aperture 15 to receive the threaded sleeve 11,

. and laterally extending andupwardly curved finger pieces 16. Thecentral circular body 14 is also provided at right angles to thefinger pieces 16 with clip members 17 which are adapted to be foldedaroundthe flange 12 of the spout S to retain the device D against accidental displacement. V

With the form of construction shown in Fig. 1 as in other forms of construction, shown for example in Figs. 3, 5 and. 8, the thumb of the hand is placed upon the flexible bottom of the can C for flexing said bottom in the discharge of oil or other contents of the j can through the spout S in the usual'manner. To insure the can against displacement from the hand, two fingers of the hand are passed through and around the finger pieces 16, thus insuring a positive grip on the can, and eliminating the commonly experienced displacement of the can from the hand in the use thereof, and especially when the outer face of the can becomes oily and slippery, which experience has many times proven costly, in the waste of time, and in the destruction of machinery, and further in injury to the operator in the attempt to grasp the can.

In other types of cans, the body portions of which are of greater depth, I provide a gripping deviceal as seen in Fig. 3 of the drawing, wherein the laterally extending arms 18 are directed downwardly from the periphery of the can, and areprovidedwith curved or hook ends 19 which are arranged at a convenient distance from the lower end of the can to receive the fingers of the hand.

In the structure shown'iniFig.'3, theclips 17 are also employed and the construction is otherwise identical with the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the exception that the internallythreaded part of thecanreceiving the spouts is arranged within the can structure and doesnot project in the manner shown in Fig. 1. This also applies to the structure shown in Fig. 4. In Fig. 4, the device D differs from the device D shown in Figs. 1 to 3, in that a s1ngle finger piece 20 extends from oneside of the central body of the device,"and downwardly from the periphery of the can and terminates in a ring or loop 21 in which one finger of the handm'ay be placed to positively grip the can and permit of its being carried about from 7 place to place. With this construction, it

will be apparent that the hand need not necessarily encircle the can, it being preferred that the index finger be passed through the loop 21 with the thumb engaging the flexible bottom of the can. i

. v In Fig. 6 of the drawing, the device D con sists of a loop 22 soldered, braced, riveted or otherwise secured to one side of the can C by means of an attaching plateportion 23., In Fig. 7 of the drawing, I have shown a modification of the structure shown in Fig. 3 wherein the gripping device D has been inverted, the clips 17 being omitted. When in inverted position as seen, the device may be used in carrying the can from place toplace or in 55 suspending the same over a suitable support.

The device D inFig. 7 has the laterally extending arms 18 and the curved finger pieces 19*.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing, I have shown the gripping device D as constituting part of or a structure integral with the spout S, for example the flange portion 12 of the spout is extended to form laterally directed members 24 having upwardly curved ends25 to receive the fingers of a hand. These fi g i an upwardly directed externally threaded tubular discharge 26 in connection with which an internally threaded cup-shaped member 27 on the spout S is mounted. In this construction, I have formed the finger piece or finger pieces 28 of the device, one only being shown, integral with the cap 27 and extending from the lower edge of the threaded portion thereof; thus making the gripping device integral with the spout as in the construction shownin 5.

In practice, it may be found necessary to use inconjunction with the 51181181 packing 13 of cans of the class described, a supplemental packing which may be mounted in connection with the central body portion of the gripping device D, especially as constructed in igs. 1, 2 and 3, 4: and? of the drawing.- In

accomplishing thisresult, an annular recess 29 is formed in' one face of the central body by pressing, stamping or in any other manner in which recess a packing ring 30 is mounted. i v H While I have described my invention as applied specifically to oil cans, it will be understood that the samemay be applied to cans of this class for discharging material or substances of any kind or class in liquid, granu lar or powdered form; While I have shown a number of methods of'carrying' fmy invention into effect, it will be understood that I am not necessarilylimited tothese details; and various changes in and modifications of the construction herein shown and described may bemade within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as'new and desire to secure by Letters V iio extending from said body portion, and spaced clips on said body portion for retaining the same in connection with a support. i 2. A gripping device for containersof the class described comprising a central apertured body portion, laterally disposed arms extending from the body portion and terminating in curved ends forming finger pieces, and spaced clips on said body portion for retaining the device against displacement fromasupport. a 3. A device ofthe class described comprising an elongatedstrip of sheet metal, the end portions of which areclurved to, form finger pieces, the central. portion of said strip being enlarged and provided with aii aperture and the enlarged portion 6f the strip iis having spaced clips for retaining said device in connection with a suitable support. P

4. The combination with a container part and a spout part in direct screw threaded engagement with the container part, of a gripping device interposed and retained be tween adjacent surfaces of said parts, and means on said device and "engaging one of said parts 'forretaining the same against displacement from said part when the separate parts are detached.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as i I my invention I have signed my name this 27th day. of February, 1928.

' EDWARD R. PETRIE.' 

